"breed true"??

[Minky]

What does it mean when people she " they do not breed true?" " or they breed true?"
Does that refer to how the chick will look or what egg color they will lay?

Thanks

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It can be only speaking of color as in Lavander is self blue and breeds true. In the case of they don't breed true is probably talking about hybrids and sex links. They are not a breed and do not breed true. The traits do not continue in offspring.

 

[MokiYoki]

Its simply that if you bred two matching ones together the chicks would not look like the parents. It can be that they will be nothing like the parents, or just certain features like feather colour, egg colour or body shape. That means they dont breed true.

"Pure breeds" breed true.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Depending on the situation... If they're talking breeds. Lets say you take a blue wheaten ameraucana and breed it to another blue wheaten ameraucana. They will 'breed true'. They have the same characteristics and will produce offspring that look like them.
Now take two easter eggers. Their genetic background is unknown (unless you bred them yourself) and could have any mix. You breed two like EE together they won't 'breed true'. They will have recessive genes that pop up from past ancestors, that the parents themselves don't express. A child can look completely different from the parent stock because of something they picked up from a generation or more back. That's not breeding true.